Of Love and Pain
by Amanda and the Tardis
Summary: This time there wasn't running. This time there was hurting and screaming and cries of "Doctor, please, help me." You can't run when you have already been caught.
1. An Adventure

Chapter 1

The Doctor and River had just landed on a planet. A planet which, as always, the Doctor knew every detail about and assured River would be absolutely harmless. River opened the TARDIS doors, anxiously awaiting whatever surprises this new planet had in store for them. She was not disappointed. As she stepped out of the TARDIS, she realized why the Doctor had been insistent that the weather was going to be something spectacular. The planet felt warm and comfortable, yet snow fell from the sky. However, the grass remained green.

River smiled as she held a hand out to the snow. It was cold, but as soon as it touched her it melted. The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and stood next to her. "It's not actually snow, you know?" he chided, a hint of smugness in his voice.

"Of course not, why would anything ever be what it seems?" River laughed.

The Doctor launched into his explanation: "This planet has some of the most severe weather of any planet. Freezing temperatures, completely unable to support life of any kind. Now this planet isn't populated anymore, but when it was the people needed to find some way to support life. What appears to be snow are actually tiny little microbots. They tune themselves to whatever temperature the human body is so that homeostasis is kept. They're the reasons the grass is so alive as well."

"Fascinating…" River murmured. "Doctor, one question. What happened to the life on this planet? Obviously, they kept some pretty advanced technology; it doesn't seem to be the kind of race that would die out."

"Fantastic question, River! And I have absolutely no idea what the answer is, but that's what we are here to find out." The Doctor smiled broadly and reached for River's hand. She shook her head disapprovingly, but a smile was present on her face. She took his hand.

They began to walk across the beautiful yet empty planet. After only a few minutes, they reached what had been a village. The homes were covered in snow, but yet the plants lived on just fine. Some of the roofs of the small houses had collapsed and snow had filled them. Further in the distance a graveyard could be seen. The Doctor and River approached the houses, noting that there was absolutely no chance of life left. However, the sound of ice cracking from the graveyard did somewhat sway their opinion.

"Doctor, did you hear that?" River asked, her eyes glued on the graveyard.

"I did!" the Doctor replied, the excitement evident in his voice. He began a brisk walk up the hill. The graveyard itself resembled the rest of the decrepit village, but it was by far larger than the village itself. It seemed almost all of the decaying population had been buried there at one point. Everything alive was beautiful and green, but the tombstones were covered in snow and ice. The Doctor knelt down in front of one of the tombstones. "What happened to all of you?" he asked quietly, placing a hand on top of the tombstone. He noticed it was blank.

The Doctor moved from one tombstone to the next, noting that it seemed they were all unmarked. "Strange," he murmured, running his sonic along the gravesites.

"What's strange, Doctor?" River asked.

"All of these graves are empty. Every single one of them." Before either of them could try to make sense of the situation, a figure appeared behind them.

The Doctor turned aiming his sonic to, of course, no effect. The figure that stood before him seemed to have been made of snow shaped into a human-esque form.

"River, I think I know what happened to the people," he murmured, once again grasping for her hand. "Ready to run?"

The Doctor turned on his heels, River in tow, but doubled back when he saw what had formed behind him. Thousands more of these ice covered creatures stood behind them. "So as I was saying River, I think I know what happened here. The microbots didn't know quite how to handle death, so they tried to reanimate the people, but there was no life or body temperature to keep, so they became, well, they became whatever these things are."

River did not respond. The Doctor looked down to where their hands had been joined to notice hers had slipped out while he was talking. The ice creature had placed its hands on either side of her face, her eyes were wide and her lips were turning blue. She was shivering under its touch. Panicked, the Doctor grabbed his sonic holding it out towards the strange creature. "Let her go!" he threatened, holding the sonic as if it were a weapon. "You really don't want to see what happens if you don't let her go."

This did not work; these creatures had obviously not heard quite enough about what the Doctor was capable of in all actuality. The creature kept his hands around River's face and began walking. River walked along, as if in a frozen trance. The icemen behind the Doctor followed in pursuit, though they seemed to hold no interest in the Doctor himself. They walked steadily through the graveyard, the Doctor following in their stride, yelling threats to let go of River. They reached the crypt, and one by one the thousand or so icemen began to enter. The Doctor did not waiver from the creature who held onto River.

They climbed down a flight of stairs that was clearly taking them far beneath the ground, into a freezing cold catacomb. Suddenly, the icemen came to a halt. The one holding River removed his hands from her face. The second the connection was lost, River screamed. The Doctor had never heard her make such a shrill, piercing noise. Her body seemed completely still, as if the trance-like state she was in was still affecting her. The scream continued for at least five seconds before River toppled completely over, her body convulsing from the cold.

The Doctor dropped to his knees beside her, placing a hand on her hair. She was clearly alive, but absolutely freezing. The microbots did not seem to inhabit the catacombs yet. The Doctor placed his arms under her neck and knees, lifting her, preparing to run just like that. This was evidently not a fail proof plan. A second iceman reached out, placing his hands on the Doctor's head, forcing him into his own trance.


	2. An Escape

A/N: I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but this is potentially slightly AU. Their timeline is obviously a bundle of madness, so I supposed it could fit in somewhere, but who really knows what is up with them. Also I am apparently on a writing mission, so for now it appears I'll be updating fairly quickly.

Chapter 2

The Doctor awoke to River's cries. The cry she emitted now was not the same as the previous long, disturbing scream that he had heard before. He quickly stood, ignoring the wave of sick and the chills that washed over him. He looked over, seeing that the icemen no longer had their hands on River's head. She was tied to hooks that had been anchored in the wall. The Doctor did not recognize their location, and he was truly unsure of how long he had been unconscious. Three of the icemen remained- two on either side of River and one stood further back holding a glass vase.

River was struggling against her bonds, but it was evident she had been there for quite some time for her struggle appeared weakened and disheartened. The Doctor attempted to stand, finding he himself had been tied to hooks on the floor. He began to try and force his way out, though he could tell by the strength of River's bonds that it was most likely no use.

The Doctor heard River's struggles growing stronger and he looked toward her once again to take in what was happening. One of the icemen who stood next to River had hit his finger against the stone wall, causing the ice to snap, leaving a sharp edge rather than a normally shaped finger. River struggled more as the iceman with the vase walked towards her. The sharp finger next to her began to run down her arm. The iceman applied more pressure, causing blood to pour.

River cried out, shaking from both the pain and the intolerable cold. "Doctor, please, please help me," she screamed, tears forming behind her voice.

The Doctor struggled more, still to no avail. "I'm right here River. I'm going to get you out, I promise."

As soon, as the Doctor finished his sentence, the iceman removed the half-filled vase away from River's arm. The one who had previously cut her placed his other hand against her arm, stopping the free flow of blood. River cried out again from the feeling of the absolute cold that washed over her from his touch. The bleeding stopped and the creature removed its hand. River slumped back, exhausted from the struggle and loss of blood.

Then they let her go. They released River from her shackles and walked away into the dark corridors of the catacomb. River collapsed to the ground now that she was no longer forced to be standing. She crawled over to the Doctor, taking the sonic from his pocket and using it to release his shackles. Once his hands were free he grabbed River's hurt arm, quickly analyzing the severity to the wound with the sonic.

"It's starting to heal already, but why did they need your blood? What are they doing?" he murmured looking into River's eyes. She was pale and looked like she would soon be ill. The Doctor's expression softened and he reached forward to touch her face. "Let's get to the Tardis before they get back." He stood, but stopped River before she could. He reached down, placed his arms around her, and picked her up.

Her head fell back as she once again lost consciousness. The Doctor gently kissed her forehead, and began walking in the opposite direction the icemen left in, hoping that it was the way out of what now seemed to be an endless array of catacombs. Luckily, his idea was correct. It appeared the icemen walked further into the catacombs rather than leaving them. After only a few minutes of walking, he reached the stairs. He began to climb the narrow staircase, and despite his usual clumsy habits, was gently sure that River's body was never knocked against the walls which were so close together that it seemed as if they were almost closing in on them.

The Doctor reached the top of the stairs, entering the still dark crypt and fumbling his way towards the exit. He was able to reach around River just enough to open the door. The light from outside poured in, and the Doctor noticed that once again the planet looked abandoned. The snow continued to fall and the grass continued to be green. The planet appeared just as it did when they first arrived. He could see the Tardis waiting patiently just outside the village. As they stepped outside, the microbot snow began to fall on them, warming them back to a comfortable temperature. The Doctor looked at it with distaste, knowing it probably played a part in the horror that had just occurred.

With warmth coming back to her body, River moaned against his shoulder. He quickly kissed her forehead, making sure she knew she was not alone or still in the catacombs. "I've got you River. We're almost to the Tardis," he whispered in her ear comfortingly. He continued to walk through the apparently empty graveyard, and then through the abandoned village. As he walked, River began to awaken, but she remained pale and weak.

Finally, he reached the Tardis. He opened her doors, hoping she would be kind to him today. She was of course, if not for him, but for River. As soon as he walked into the console room, the Tardis created a door. The Doctor opened it, finding a room with a large, soft looking bed. Despite the comfort of the room and bed, medical equipment was also present on a bedside table. He laid River on the bed, sitting beside her and pushing her hair away from her face. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled weakly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Oh absolutely fantastic," she responded, sarcastically. Despite her sarcastic attitude, her voice was quiet and horse.

The Doctor smiled and grabbed some things from the table to clean her arm. She flinched slightly as he began to rub a cool liquid on it. He then dressed her wound with a soft, white bandage. "You'll heal quickly thanks to the Time Lord DNA, not as quickly as I would, but still quicker than your average human," he rambled as he taped the bandages.

River remained quiet as the Doctor ran the sonic down her body. "Your temperature is returning to normal," he added.

"Doctor, why did they take my blood?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know, River, but believe me I'm going to find out. I won't leave this planet until I know you are safe."


	3. A Private Moment

A/N: This chapter deals mainly with sexy-time. Do not read it you are not a fan of sexy-time.

A/N2: Oh god, this is porn. This is word porn, I don't even. I am so sorry! Well, I'm not, but still!

Chapter 3

River began falling asleep on the bed that that Tardis had prepared for her. The Doctor remained beside her watching her in her sleep. He was sure she would be fine, and he wanted nothing more than to hunt down the thing that did this to her, but he wasn't quite ready to leave her side yet. He relaxed against the headboard of the bed while she left, nervously checking her temperature and pulse with his sonic every few minutes, despite the fact that she was clearly improving rapidly. The Doctor himself began to fall into the sleep he rarely desired or received.

River awoke with shock what felt like something similar to the middle of the night, though it was impossible to tell within the Tardis. She looked around her, startled, but quickly realizing she was inside the Tardis. The Doctor was woken by River's movements; he was not a heavy sleeper by any means. Instantly alert, he sprang to his feet looking around for the intruder. River looked up at him, laughter on her face. "Hello, Sweetie," she murmured.

He relaxed instantly, looking at River curled up on the bed. He returned to his seat next to her. "Well, how are we feeling then?" he asked her, his tone bright.

"Much better, thanks," she said, a smile dusting across her face. The Doctor reached down and took her hand, rubbing his thumb across her palm.

"I'm glad you've got that bit of Time Lord in you. I don't know how I'd keep myself entertained if you were bedridden for days." He squeezed her hand.

"I _can_ be quite entertaining," River laughed, her free hand tangling itself in the Doctor's hair.

The Doctor relaxed from his upright positing, leveling himself on the bed alongside River. River inched forward so her nose was almost touching the Doctor's. "Oh I know," he whispered, planting a playful kiss on her nose.

River untangled her hand from the Doctor's bringing it up to join the other in his hair. She kissed his lips, softly at first, but with slowly growing intensity. The Doctor broke the kiss only to leave a trail of new ones across her jaw. "Entertaining indeed," he whispered into her ear, the feel of his warm breath causing her to shiver with pleasure.

River moaned her agreement, arching her body into his and initiating another kiss. She rolled so that she was now on top of him, her legs straddling his hips. He reached his head forward leaving gentle nips along her neck. She worked her hands under his jacket, pushing it off of his shoulders. He returned the favor, raking his hands up her back and lifting her shirt over her head.

Losing patience, with their slow actions, River began hastily unbuttoning his shirt and removing his bracers. Once he lay shirtless under her, she rolled off of him so she could work at the button on his trousers. Before she could get the zipper down, he growled slightly, and rolled on top of River. He pulled her up to him, reaching behind her back to unclasp her bra. Once it was properly discarded on the floor he released her back down to the bed. He dusted his hand over her exposed breasts, stopping to flick each of her nipples gently.

He and River kissed again, his hands planted on each of her breasts and hers rubbing up and down his exposed back. He began to slowly trail his mouth across her jaw and down her neck. She slowly began to work her hands down his trousers, squeezing and grabbing as she went. She brought her hands from his backside to his hips, one creeping further forward. She found the button on his trousers, releasing it before he could protest again.

Her hand reached under the elastic band of his boxers, eliciting from him a low moan. Suddenly, he pushed her down on to the bed, her hand sliding out of his pants as a result. The Doctor gently licked River's erect nipples before proceeding to bite each one gently. His mouth trailed down her stomach, leaving wet kisses until he reached her hips. He licked a line from hip to hip, right above where her trousers rested. Her hips bucked up, but he placed his hands on both to prevent her lower half from moving. The Doctor began to make tantalizingly slow motions, nipping and licking at her hip bones until small red marks began to form. She began to squirm with pleasure. He released one of her hips from his hand and used the now free hand to pop the button of her trousers and undo the zipper.

He pulled them down slowly, her underwear falling with them. They pooled around her ankles, caught in the sneakers she was wearing. The Doctor looked at her slowly, taking in every curve. After meeting her eyes to notice her look of longing impatience, he began to slowly untie her shoes and pulling them off. After her feet were freed, he finished removing her trousers. He then proceeded to position himself above her, his knees on either side of her. He leaned forward, kissing her intently, while his hands explored her now nude body. He broke the kiss, flashed her a small smile, and then stood to finish removing his own clothes. River watched, a sensual grin spreading across her face. He finally removed his last article of clothing, letting his erection spring free. He climbed back onto the bed, resuming his position on top of her. He rubbed his hands lightly over the sides of her stomach and planted small kisses on her collarbone.

He slid his mouth lower and lower down her body, stopping at her thighs. He kissed her inner thighs, than began gently licking at her folds. River arched her hips forward, her breath quickening as he began to lick her clit. He reclined into a sitting position, turning and moving upward she his back rested against the headboard. He gently lifted River up and she crawled on top of him, her back pressing into his chest. His hands found themselves on her hips, and he began to gently lower her onto himself. She moaned as he entered her, increasing in loudness as he pushed further inside of her. She began to move on him, a slow, steady rhythm. The Doctor buried his head into her hair, taking in her smell and the smell of the hormones she was releasing. He hands began to fondle her breasts.

He slowly began to push her forward, though without breaking contact. She was now positioned on her hands and knees and the Doctor behind her, one of his knees pressed into her side with his foot on the bed. He increased the pace that River had previously set. River however was displeased with the lack of contact between the two of them. She fell forward, forcing the Doctor to exit her. She turned quickly, crashing her lips into his, and pushing him backwards to lie on the bed. She crawled on top of him, taking him inside of herself once again. She collapsed on top of him completely, lying chest to chest. She set the rhythm again, knowing it was all too slow, but wanting to tease him. She smiled into his neck before biting him gently. She gradually began to increase the pace of their love making. The Doctor reached between them, playing with her clit. All too soon, she melted around him, overwhelmed from the sensations. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she came making unintelligible noises of pleasure. He removed his hand from between them, placing it on her back, rubbing small circles. His other hand tangled inside her hair. He kissed her shoulders and continued moving inside of her. The muscle spasms of her orgasm brought him close to his breaking point as well. He thrusted into her deeply pulling out his own orgasm, and then riding it out with her name on his lips.

Her head lay on his chest as he finally pulled out of her. She rolled off of him, but turned to face him. He turned as well, his nose touching hers. He kissed her lips sweetly. "I know I don't say it often, River, but I love you," he whispered, a slightly embarrassed look crossing him face. She smiled, stroking the side of his face.

"I love you, as well," she whispered back. Her hand came to rest on his chest, and he encircled her with his arms. Though she was well rested, the Doctor could not say the same about himself. As always, he could not remember the last time he properly slept. He nodded off slowly, his head filled with feelings of pleasure combined with thoughts on the horror they may face when they awake.


	4. A Pulse

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed! It really means a lot to me. I get updates from to my phone, so I'll get a review in the middle of class and just sit there smiling like an idiot. So, thank you!

Chapter 4

Despite the sleep from earlier when she had been hurt, River eventually fell into a peaceful sleep next to the Doctor. Hours must have passed before she was abruptly woken by the Doctor's thrashing. She sat up and saw his face was contorted with pain. His hands gripped and the sheets and sweat was dripping from his brow. She placed her hands in his hair, stroking it gently and leaned down to kiss his forehead. His movements stilled slightly, but his face still expressed pain.

"Wake up, sweetie. You're just having a nightmare," she whispered into his ear. He bolted upright, panic in his motions. River instantly reached for his hand, taking it within her own. "You're alright," she whispered. "Just a nightmare."

His tension stilled and he turned to meet River's eyes. "Of course," he said. "Just a nightmare." His expression softened slightly as he saw the worried look on River's face. "I'm fine. It happens all the time."

River wrapped him into her arms, stroking his hair. "All the time?" she asked gently.

"River, I am very old and I have seen more things than you could imagine. It's bound to happen. But anyway! We have things to do, people to see, and a mystery to solve. Let's get up and get going. It should be daylight out on the planet." He squeezed her hand before bolting up out of the bed. She heard the pattering of his feet down the corridors of the Tardis, resonating almost as if he were skipping. She shook her head, laughing to herself, knowing he was not wearing anything, before stretching and getting up herself.

She heard the water of a shower running so she quickly gathered fresh clothes from a wardrobe against the wall, as well as a towel. Remembering the bandage that remained on her arm from yesterday, she quickly removed it. Her arm had healed, leaving nothing but a bruise and rather unpleasant scar. Following the sound of the water, she walked down the hallways to discover where the Tardis had placed the bathroom today. She found the door, opening it quietly. For a second she watched the Doctor standing there, letting the water run over his body. His eyes were closed and he was standing completely still. She sighed, knowing that kind of solemnity meant he was thinking about whatever his nightmare had been about. She walked towards him, opening the shower door and joining him. He smiled, but his eyes look sad. Standing behind him, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his shoulder blade. They stayed like that for a few minutes, the Doctor having placed his hands over hers. He turned to face her, and despite the water she could tell that there were tears in his eyes. He kissed her forehead before leaning over to rest his head on her shoulder.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before the Doctor decided it was time for them to get going, though he took his time washing River's hair. He stepped out of the shower first, wrapping himself in a towel while River turned off the water. He grabbed another towel, placing it over her shoulders as she exited the shower. They walked to their room in companionable silence, getting changed for the day ahead. The Doctor kept shooting glances at River, and if she didn't know him better she would claim he was nervous.

She sat on the edge of the bed, tying the laces of her boots. He sat down next to her. "River, I don't even want to ask, because I know you are going to say no, but just this once, will you please wait for me in the Tardis? Who knows what they did with your blood or what else they want from you. I think you'd be a lot safer if you would stay here."

"Well I'm glad you know that I was going to say no. At least you didn't set yourself upset for disappointment." She smiled, but she could tell he was honestly worried for her. "I'll be fine, sweetie. I know how to handle myself."

He put his hand on her cheek and smiled before getting up and walking to the console room. He knew her too well to know that there was no way she was going unarmed, but he'd rather be ignorant to the fact. River wandered down the corridors of the Tardis until she found a room that she knew the Doctor was unaware of. It seemed the Tardis had created it especially for her. Within were her guns; not too many, but enough so that she was prepared for days like this. She strapped a gun alongside her leg, as well as tucking one into a holster belt. Now prepared, she joined the Doctor in the console room.

River walked up and stood next to the Doctor. They both faced the Tardis doors and clasped their hands together. Together they proceeded out into the deceptively beautiful weather. Similar to the previous day, it was silent and deserted. The Doctor squeezed her hand, providing the comfort he knew she needed, though she would never admit to it. They began to walk towards the graveyard, knowing that was the most likely way to discover what was going on. They walked in silence up the hill, the Doctor's normal excited disposition somewhat dulled now that this adventure held a potential risk for River.

They both knew they had to go back into the catacombs to follow where they had last seen the icemen go. They walked again through the village and up the hill. Easily finding the crypt, they carried on, opening the doors and walking down the stairs much more willingly than they had yesterday. This time the Doctor was prepared with a torch. He took it out, lighting their way forward. The catacombs remained extremely cold, but not completely intolerable. The catacombs seemed endless, but they in the direction that the Doctor remembered coming out from yesterday. Eventually they stumbled into the room which that had yesterday been captive in.

They met each other's' eyes, knowing they had no choice but to follow the path that the icemen had taken yesterday. The catacombs grew colder, but they carried on. Eventually they came to a dead end. They had seen all of the catacombs, but there was no sign that the icemen were present anywhere. The Doctor shined the torch around the room. It was circular in shape and fairly large. He looked above them noticing that the ceiling seemed to go up for at least a kilometer, if not more.

At the same time, River and the Doctor noticed that the higher up they looked, it seemed as though the walls were lined with doors. A staircase connected each level, and it seemed to wind on forever. The Doctor and River found the stairs and began their ascent. The first level wrapped around the room. Each door had a number, starting with one hundred and counting down. The Doctor approached the door and through the window at the top, he saw an iceman sleeping inside. He rushed past each door, seeing the same in each one. Something told the Doctor he needed to climb higher. He felt that the answers would be found on the top of this mysterious catacomb. He dragged River up the stairs, running as quickly as he could. Out of breath, they reached the top of the stairs. On this floor there was only one door, the number one plastered on the top of it. The Doctor looked through the door, seeing a room extraordinarily larger than any of the others. He opened the door, stepping inside with River. An iceman was strewn out on a bed, but unlike the others who remained in small, solitary rooms, he was surrounded by vast amounts of extraordinary technology, clearly the newest that this race had developed before their premature death. The iceman lay on what appeared to be a hospital bed, surrounded by monitors. Each monitor lay silent, seeing as there was no pulse or heartbeat to be found in someone who was dead and frozen. Suddenly, one of the monitors emitted a loud, shrill beep.

The Doctor watched in horror as the drip of an intravenous began. What could easily be assumed to be River's blood was dripping into the iceman. With sudden realization, the Doctor noticed this room was significantly warmer than the rest of the catacombs. The microbots were in here, controlling their body temperature. As the blood dripped into the iceman, the microbots swarmed around it, melting the ice away from its body. River gasped as the monitors began to come to life. They registered a heartbeat, a pulse, blood pressure.

The Doctor looked at River. "They used their blood to reanimate. They just brought back one of the frozen dead using your blood." He looked shocked, almost appalled at the situation. River grasped his hand harder as the now thawed iceman began to come to life.


	5. A Revelation

A/N: Sorry this took me so long to update! I was on Thanksgiving break and couldn't bring myself to do anything besides watch ER for the sake of Alex Kingston.

Chapter 5

The 'iceman' now looked human, like a regular man. His body was stiff and tinted blue yet he began to sit up. Suddenly, River heard a painful, high pitched noise. She looked to the Doctor who seemed unaffected.

"Doctor," she whispered, "Can you hear that?"

"Hear what, River?" he whispered back.

"That noise. It's high pitched. It reminds me of when they first put me into a trance." Her voice remained steady, but a level of nervousness remained.

As she finished the sentence, the Doctor noticed that the former iceman was making direct eye contact with River from the table he was sitting on. Unlike a moment ago, River's eyes now stared back into his. She was unmoving.

"River! River, tell me what is happening!" He squeezed her hand. River didn't respond right away, almost as if she was thinking.

"Doctor, it's happening. He's taking over my mind again, but it's different this time. I can think, but I can't move. I can't even move my hands, but I can feel yours. I can feel that you are holding my hand."

The Doctor turned so that he stood behind her. He held both of her hands, pressing her body into his. "Okay, River," he whispered into her ear. "I have an idea, and we are going to have to do this very quickly. Now that he isn't frozen, it seems he has a direct control of whatever psychic power that he possesses. He's obviously latched onto you, now that he knows he can reanimate his people through your blood. He's probably going to try to take it from you again. Now, I obviously have some telepathic powers myself. So I am going to take your mind back, River. I'll take control of you from the iceman, but as soon as you're free from him, I'll put you back into your own control. Then, we run."

River remained still, but she whispered a quiet hum of agreement, fearing that the iceman would become suspicious is he saw her talking. The Doctor took his hands, placing them on either side of her head. He leaned forward so that his forehead rested in her hair. Suddenly, River was overwhelmed, almost enough to collapse. Part of her brain still felt the control of the iceman, the inability to move. Another part of her felt the most overwhelmingly powerful love. Suddenly, the feeling of control and inability ceased, leaving her with nothing but love. She could move, but she felt dizzy and her breath came quick and fast. The Doctor turned her so that her face lay on his chest.

She heard his voice in her head, knowing he was not speaking aloud. "I'm going to let go now, River. We have to run, and fast." His hands and head left hers, and she quickly came back into herself. She saw that the iceman had now taken to standing. River and the Doctor clasped hands, moving backwards towards the door. They turned, running out the door and down the first flight of stairs. Suddenly, the Doctor came to a stop, dragging River with him. The iceman was not behind them. He had begun to move, his body slowly unstiffening. River and the Doctor continued to back up, fearing that he would eventually come down the stairs. This fear was quickly realized, as the icemen made his slow decent down the stairs. River and the Doctor went down the next flight of the stairs. Instead of following them, he walked into the door that held the next iceman. They looked into the window, the Doctor being the first to realize exactly what was happening.

The thawed iceman was rummaging through equipment that was set next to the frozen iceman in the room. He began hooking himself up to another IV. "They're transfusing. They're going to bring every single one of them back to life."

"Doctor, look," River said, panic in her voice. The iceman in that room had awoken as well, and was hooked up by the original one to another IV. It was then that the Doctor noticed that the tubes were connected between the rooms. As one iceman animated, it was hooked to an IV, continuing on to all the rooms. They had created a cycle, transfusing the blood between all of them.

Without speaking, they both knew that it was time to get out. They ran in unison, fighting the exhaustion that hit with each flight of stairs. The top rooms began to empty, the slow moving former icemen emerging one by one as their bodies began to produce their own blood. The Doctor and River were about halfway down, so it seemed that they were safe for now. The Doctor was careful to check that River was not looking towards them, for fear that they would once again take control of her mind.

The icemen were emptying out of the rooms one by one, each level inching closer towards them. Finally, they reached the last flight of stairs, running as quickly as they could towards the exit. The Doctor pulled the torch from his pocket, lighting the way through the catacombs. It seemed that they had run them so much in the past two days that they were almost memorized. Finally, emerging above the ground, they stopped for a moment to catch their breath.

"They'll be here soon, Doctor. We need to get back to the Tardis." River panted. The Doctor nodded, and they continued through the graveyard and down to the Tardis. They walked through the doors, collapsing against them in exhaustion. River dropped to the ground, her breath heavy. She looked up at the Doctor, a smile on her face.

"River, why are you smiling?" he asked, confused why she would be happy after seeing an insane race reanimated by her blood.

"I figured you wouldn't notice," she teased.

"Notice what?" he asked, instantly annoyed with her teasing.

"There were no women. That was indeed a race entirely of men. It seems that they did preserve the bodies of their women, unless they're buried somewhere else. Every single room held the body of a man. I noticed as soon as they began to come out of the doors."

"So they can't reproduce!" The Doctor paced the floor of the Tardis, analyzing the situation while River sat on the Tardis floor, a content smile on her face.

"They'll probably die out again. There is no way they can continue life. Those bodies have been through a lot between the freezing and thawing, so I doubt that they will last very long anyway." River added.

The Doctor grabbed her hands, pulling her up off the floor. "River Song!" he exclaimed. "You are a genius. However, there is one thing we have indeed overlooked, and that is the rest of this town, let alone this planet. We have seen one miniscule part. We have no idea what sits on the rest of this planet. Originally I thought it was totally abandoned, but after seeing thousands brought to life with just a bit of your blood, I'm not so sure. We have a lot more places to look."

He kissed River's forehead, excited for her discovery, and after an interesting day, he felt the excitement to continue their exploration and discover what else this seemingly empty planet may hold.


	6. A Premonition

Chapter 6

A/N: I felt like this was another really appropriate place for sexy time. So, again, if you don't like sexy time, don't read the sexy time. And believe me, all the sexy time will actually become very important soon.

Despite knowing that they had a lot more of the planet to explore, the Doctor and River decided that running the endless staircases had been enough for one day. River wanted to approach the problem from a logical standpoint, leading her to the vast Tardis library. This left the Doctor alone in the control room to fiddle with parts of the Tardis.

River sat at a desk in the library, a small lamp lighting her reading. She had books piled on either side of her and a notebook in front of her. Her hand scribbled furiously as she read a passage about preserving a society by freezing those who were about to die. Her notebook had pages and pages filled, with tales that held facts similar to theirs. Though she found many fascinating things, none seemed to fit. The icemen appeared to be already dead from the empty graves they found. She switched gears from the frozen to research on how the microbots worked at temperature control. She read on, and though the material was interesting, her mind wandered to when the Doctor had taken control of her mind.

A feeling of bliss had taken over. As he held onto her head, she had no thoughts, just emotion that took control to a point she had never felt before. Despite the potentially fatal situation they had found themselves in, River had felt warm and beautiful. Coming back to the present, she laid her head on the desk, remembering and feeling. Though she had never doubted it before, the momentary mental link the Doctor had created proved how truly he loved her. She sighed contentedly, returning herself to the research.

The Doctor was bored. He could only play with the parts of the Tardis for so long when he knew there was no reason to be playing with them. He'd now calibrated the same feature about a thousand times. He popped out from under the console, walking down the corridors with the intent to see if River needed any help with her research and to maybe just take a quick swim in the pool. He had decided to leave it there after the Tardis had crashed; he felt a swimming pool was very appropriate inside a library.

He opened the door, a smile crossing his face as he saw River consumed in her work. He walked up behind her quietly, placing his hand on her back. "Find anything interesting?" he asked quietly.

"Interesting, yes, but not new. Nothing we hadn't figured out on our own." She sighed, her head reclining back to rest on his chest. "However, I have given myself a bit of a headache."

The Doctor hummed in response, his hand coming to the base of her neck, rubbing out small circles with his thumb. River relaxed into his hand, collapsing her head forward. The Doctor gently began to rub her head and shoulders, making his way down her back. After a few more minutes, the Doctor stopped rubbing her back, walking around her and sitting on the desk. She straightened up, smiling at him slowly. The Doctor picked up the book it seemed she had just been reading, scanning it quickly and then scowling. "Completely unhelpful!" he shouted, tossing the book onto the floor.

River sighed in frustration, but a slight laugh broke through. "Look at all the time I just saved you, River. You would have spent hours reading that useless book."

"Yes I would have, but you would never have bothered to look in a book in the first place," she smiled and pushed his hair behind his ear.

He picked up her notebook, scanning over the facts she had written down. He hummed in interest, but quickly put the notebook aside. "I told you, love, nothing we didn't already know," River said.

"Just double checking," the Doctor replied, continuing to flick through the books that River had selected. River grabbed his hands, causing him to drop one.

"I think I've seen enough research for one day," she whispered as she stood up from her chair. She pressed her lips to the Doctor's as she pushed him back against the desk. Some of the books fell to the floor and the papers scattered. River climbed up onto the desk, her knees on either side of the Doctor's hips. She leaned down, kissing him more passionately than before. She let her knees give out, pressing her weight entirely onto the Doctor's front. She placed one hand on his shoulder and the other in his hair. His hands were both knotted in her hair.

Their movements were more frantic than they had been on the previous night. The Doctor was quick to remove River's shirt and River had begun to trace her hand from his shoulder down to his hip, then slowly up his shirt, and finally coming to rest on his side. She scratched lightly, causing the Doctor to let out a small hiss. She grinned into his neck before biting down on the sensitive skin. His entire body twitched and he reached behind to unclasp her bra. He discarded it on the floor amongst the books and papers that had formerly occupied the desk.

River's breasts fell free onto the Doctor's chest as she continued to nibble at his neck. He rubbed his hands down her back before reaching up and licking her ear. "Pool?" he whispered. River moaned her agreement, pulling herself up off the desk. The Doctor stands as well, but grabs River by the hips from behind before she could begin to walk away. He pulled her against his body, and she could feel his erection pressing into her lower back.

He cupped each of her breasts while he licked and bit gently at her neck. One of his hands snuck down to the button on her pants, pulling it loose and bringing the zipper down along with it. With a tug, her trousers fell down, bringing her underwear along with them. The Doctor grabbed at her bare bottom rough enough to leave scratches. River stepped out of her discarded clothes, and turned herself around. She crashed her lips into his, tugging and biting as his lower lip, making it clear she wanted control. She took the Doctor's hand guiding it down to her wetness. The Doctor trailed his fingers between her lips, bumping her clit in their path. Before he could go any deeper, River pulled his hand away.

"Get rid of your clothes," River whispered into his ear. He obeyed her, removing his shoes before quickly and clumsily pulling off his remaining clothes.

"Now, Doctor, what was that about the pool?" she whispered, before grabbing his hands and pulling him toward the library's pool. River sat down, hanging her legs over the side. "Don't worry, love. It's nice and warm," she whispered seductively before climbing in.

He climbed in after her, and River placed an arm around his neck, linking her legs around his waist. River reached her other hand down to grasp the Doctor's cock. She wrapped her hand around him, placing him at her entrance. He slipped inside her, causing her to moan. She began to move on him, starting slowly, but increasing in speed quickly. Her hand scratched at his neck and pulled at his hair. He moaned, thrusting into her deeper. River buried her head into his neck, letting out small pleasurable screams. The Doctor's fingers were pressed into her back; she could feel the red marks they were leaving. The water in the pool splashed around them as their thrusting became more frenzied. River was crying out loudly now, her orgasm quickly approaching. One of the Doctor's hands held her at the base of her head, pulling her hair, his other hand still pressing hard into her back.

River's orgasm came first, the Doctor pulling her hair harder as she came, drawing out her pleasured screams further. The Doctor relentlessly continued to thrust inside of her, despite the fact that her orgasm had already finished. Her breathe was quick and shallow against his shoulder and he calmed his hand that had been pulling at her hair. She was slumped against him when he finally released inside of her. As he came, he held her close making every inch of their bodies touch.

He turned around, hoisting River onto the edge of the pool before climbing out himself. He walked to the cabinet, grabbing two fluffy towels for both of them. He sat next to River, hanging his feet into the pool and draping the towel over River's shoulders. He began to towel off his own hair before River leaned against him. He kissed the top of her head and they both sat in companionable silence, moving the water of the pool with their feet.

The Doctor was the first to stand. He smiled at River. "Your sex drive somehow manages to make even the strongest of timelords want to take a nap."

River laughed. "The strongest?" she questioned, a smile playing across her face. The Doctor playfully nudged her shoulder, pretending to push her into the pool. River jumped to her feet, grabbing him by the shoulders. Her burst of playful violence quickly turned romantic. She kissed his lips gently and he could feel her smiling into his lips.

She pulled away, moving back into the library. She turned off the light at her desk before drawing the Doctor towards a couch tucked away amongst the bookshelves. They lay side by side, River's head against the Doctor's chest. He fell into a post-coital sleep. River, however, remained awake. Thoughts of the occurrence they had already experienced on this disturbing planet were playing severely on her mind, and she couldn't help but to think that something terrible was going to happen soon.


	7. An Atrocity

A/N: Remember when I said this was going to get dark? It just did. This chapter contains rape. You have been warned.

Also I am sorry this took so long. I had finals. And then I went home, where I have been working and it kills all the creative juices.

Chapter 7

"River Song! This is it. Today, we are going to figure out what is going on with this planet, and then we are leaving! You are a distraction. Never, never, never have I needed three days to figure out a simple problem," he yelled from the console room. River was getting dressed; the Doctor was getting impatient.

She appeared in front of him, clad in tight jeans, boots, and a simple t-shirt- which was enough to make both of his hearts melt. "A distraction? However do you mean?" She smiled in a way that could only be described as seductive.

He shook his head, unwilling to answer her question, but a smile began creeping up his face. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"As ever!" she replied, heading for the Tardis doors.

Hand in hand, the Doctor and River left the safety of the Tardis. Something felt different to both River and the Doctor, and River tightened her grip onto his hand. The sky was cloudy, but as always, the planet remained the same temperature. Neither of them believed anything good could come out of spending another day on this planet.

"Alright, River! We are not going through that graveyard again today. We are going the other way! There is more. We need to see it." River smiled at him, knowing he was hiding fear behind the childish excitement, but willing to play along, for both their sakes.

They walked to the left today, away from the graveyard. They were at the bottom of a hill where they began, preventing them from seeing what awaited them on the other side. They climbed tirelessly, exchanging the occasional encouraging glance at each other. They reached the top of the hill and the flat land below them appeared to go on forever. A river ran on the lower side of the hill and farther on there appeared to be a large building that was falling apart.

"Well that looks promising!" The Doctor exclaimed. He took off down the hill, running excitedly. River let out a laugh, running after him. They came to the River, and the Doctor crossed without any hesitation. River cringed as the Doctor emerged, soaked up to his knees in water. She crossed next, gasping at how freezing cold the water was. When she emerged, the microbots surrounded her legs, warming her. The Doctor smiled as he watched.

They continued walking toward the building, making out more detail as they got closer. "It looks like a hospital…"River murmured. The Doctor nodded his agreement, and continued on.

It did not take much longer for them to reach the building. Similar to what they had already seen, the building looked fairly disused. Some of the windows were broken and the door was leaning slightly off of its hinges. The Doctor gingerly pushed it open, which in turn sent it spiraling to the ground. River followed behind him as they entered the darkened building. He took out his sonic, scanning the area in front of him. The blue light it gave off assured them that their previous assumption had been correct- they were in fact inside of a hospital. They were standing in the waiting area, now filled with toppled chairs and cobwebs. They could see the endless rooms laid out in the hallway in front of them.

"Well, shall we have a look?" River asked, proceeding forward. She and the Doctor matched strides as they walked through the hospital. They checked every room as they went, the Doctor's sonic leading their path. The first floor contained nothing of interest so they climbed the flight of stairs leading to the next. They continued in this pattern, the Doctor becoming bored. They had finished their inspection of the fifth floor when the Doctor let out a sigh of frustration.

"Absolutely boring!" he yelled out to River, disappointed that nothing had jumped out at them. River laughed, amused by his lack of patience.

"Why don't you have another look around downstairs? We didn't really look in the receiving area when we came in. Maybe there will be something interesting in some old paperwork. I'll finish up with the rooms. There are only two stories left. I'll meet you in the lobby when I'm done." River suggested, knowing the Doctor would continue growing more impatient if she didn't find a way to occupy him.

He agreed to the plan quickly, thankful for a way to get out of the tediousness. He kissed River's cheek before heading down the stairs. Following River's advice, he sat down at the desk in the reception area. He opened the drawers, finding them filled with old charts and paperwork for the patients. He made stacks on top of the desk, which in his mind were labeled 'boring' or 'not boring' judging by what information he obtained from his quick scan over them.

He began reading through the 'not boring' pile. He discovered quickly, of course, what he thought to be the answer to their mystery. His excitement was obvious in the manner he threw the papers about himself. One by one he threw them from the stack in front of him to the floor, a wide smile growing on his face.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" he exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. "River!" he called running towards the stairs. "River! I've figured it out!"

He was met with silence. Assuming she couldn't hear him, he began to climb the stairs, shouting her name at each level. The higher he climbed the more worried he became. No matter where she was, she should have been able to hear him by now. He reached the top, where he finally heard the sound of what could only be crying. He sprinted toward the sound, hoping with all he had that River was absolutely fine.

Pushing open the door, he heard the sound coming from, he found her, to his horror, bloodied and naked on the floor. He rushed to her side, placing his hands on her face. "Who did this to you?" he asked, burying her hands in her hair. She lifted her arm, pointing across the room, a look of shock and sadness on her face. The Doctor look where she pointed, seeing he collapsed figure of what he could only assume was at one point, an iceman that had thawed. The figure was collapsed, wounded fatally by a gun shot. It was then the Doctor noticed the gun in River's hand. He kissed her forehead, showing that he was not upset with her decision.

She let out a small sob, dropping the gun and grabbing the Doctor. She pulled him to her, her hands bunched into his jacket. The sobs convulsed through her body and the Doctor held her attempting to calm her, and hoping the horror of this scene is less than what he has imagined. Finally, her crying calmed and the Doctor released her. He stood up, surveying the room more than he had the chance to when he had been so focused on River.

It was an examination room, still fully stocked though dusty and unused. River's attacked wasn't clothed either, which confirmed his previous horror. He turned to her, needing to know where she was bleeding from.

"Okay, River. We're going to get you cleaned up. Do you think you can stand?" he spoke calmly, not entirely sure how to handle this situation. The anger he felt inside of himself was powerful, but he knew River needed him and her attacker was dead. The only thing he could do now was help her. River nodded, beginning to stand up. He helped her up, keeping a tight hold on her arm. He opened the door, leading her into the hallway, where he noticed her clothes torn and scattered on the floor, and then into the next room. He wanted to clean her up where she would not be able to see her attacker.

Once inside the examination room, he helped her up onto the exam table. "I guess I get to be a real doctor today, don't I?" he said with a sad smile, stroking River's hair. He began opening the drawers, until he found some cloths. He wet them in the sink, and began to wash the blood off of her. He held her hand, beginning with her face and working down. After removing the blood, he could see there were claw marks on her face and neck. Her shoulders held the bruises of a stranger's fingers. The Doctor was mortified at the idea of continuing to clean her, afraid of what he might find, but he knew he had to, for her sake if anything.

River was beginning to tremble, so he made his ministrations quick, wiping clean the rest of her body with a force of emotional detachment that was necessary. After he had cleared the blood off of her, he took off his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders. He didn't want to be in the hospital any longer, and he was sure she didn't either. After all, the Tardis was their home; she would feel safe there.


	8. A Recovery

A/N: There is no power at my house. My grandma just walked into the closed door. This is a chapter written in the dark with the remaining power of my laptop.

Chapter 8

The Doctor lifted River up, though he was unsure if he would be able to carry all the way to the Tardis; He would be damned if she had to walk, though. He kissed the top of her head, but she recoiled slightly from his touch.

"It'll be alright, River. We're going to go back to the Tardis, and then I will finish taking care of you. I promise you that this is going to be okay," he whispered.

She let out a whimper of pain, and he could tell that she was making an attempt to relax into him, but finding it hard. He began walking, making it out of the hospital without incident. The exhaustion of carrying River finally struck him when he reached the river they had crossed earlier. She had been completely still they entire time they had walked, and if he didn't know better he would have assumed that she had simply been asleep. He glanced down at her face- her eyes were pressed shut, but her face was contorted into a look of pain.

Seeing her face renewed his energy and he fought through his exhaustion towards the Tardis. Once he crossed the river, he knew he was almost there. He did not let his exhaustion show because he could not let River down. He had done enough of that already.

Finally he could see the Tardis coming into his view. "We're almost home, River. Almost there. Just hang on."

He pushed open the doors of the Tardis, rushing into the first door he saw, hoping the Tardis would make it accommodate their needs. The Doctor found a sterile, yet comfortable, room. He laid River down on the bed, preparing himself for what he was going to have to do.

"Alright, love. I'm going to have to take my jacket off of you now, and then I'm going to make sure you're not hurt anywhere that I did not see before." River didn't react, but simply nodded her head, though fear was present in her eyes.

He gently removed his jacket from her, leaving her completely exposed. He sighed as her arms flew to cover herself. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know this is hard, love, but remember who I am. I would never hurt you. I'm just going to make sure that you are okay, and then help you get dressed."

Slowly, River lowered her arms away from her body, but pressed her eyes shut again. The Doctor knew he had to make this quick.

"River, I know you don't want to, but it will be easier if you talk, okay? Does it feel like anything is broken?" he asked, inspecting her arms. There were stray bruises from the struggle, but none of them looked too serious.

She shook her head, answering "no" in a whisper. The Doctor continued to look at her, having her sit forward while he looked at her back. As soon as he was finished he grabbed a soft, cotton shirt for her to wear.

He looked over her lower body quickly, knowing that she needed to be cleaned up further, but dreading it. He could feel his own disgust at the person that did this to her bubble. He was not ready to face the truth, and he knew very well that she wasn't either. The Tardis had set up a basin with soapy water next to the bed. He wet the washcloth, gently placing it on her knee. He began wiping down her legs. He began to slowly work his way up, noticing the splotches of blood that he had ignored earlier. River clenched her legs shut, letting out a strangled sounding cry.

"It's okay, River. Just one second more and this will all be over. Just let me finish washing you, and then everything will be over." He took one of her hands in his, and slowly she relaxed her leg muscles. The drops of blood coming from between her legs were still fresh as he wiped them away.

As he finished cleaning her off, he began to cry himself. He was horrified that anyone could do this to someone as strong and beautiful as River. He placed the washcloth back in the basin, watching the blood combine with the water, lost in thought. The papers he had seen back in the hospital had solved the remaining mystery of this situation. Tomorrow, he would clearly be able to put this all right, but for now he refused to leave River's side. 'Damn everything' he thought. River needed him more than anyone or anything else in the world right now.

He grabbed the pair of pants that had been next to the shirt, helping her to put them on. He sat on the edge of the bed, not sure if she was quite ready to accept his touches again. He found her hands, grasping them both within his own.

"I'm sorry, River. This should never have happened to you. You don't deserve any of this. I would give up anything to change this if I was able to, but I need you to talk to me, River. I want you to tell me if anything hurts, and then anything else you need or want to tell me. You can talk to me for hours, River. Tell me anything, anything at all." He squeezed her hands tightly.

River looked up into his eyes, tears spilling from her own. Her chest heaved as the sobs she had been holding back finally escaped. Her arms reached around the Doctor's neck as she buried her head into his chest. He pulled her against him, softly stroking her hair.

He kissed the top of her head, murmuring comforting words, until her tears stopped.

"No, nothing really hurts. Not enough to make me think something was wrong, anyway," she choked out, knowing the Doctor needed assurance that she was at least physically okay.

"Good, sweetheart." He kissed her head again, his tears leaking into her hair. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asked gently.

"No. Not tonight. I really just want to sleep," she said weakly.

"Of course, River. Do you want me to stay here?" he asked.

"Yes," she said quickly, an edge of desperation creeping into her voice.

"I won't leave you then, I promise." He pulled her to his chest, laying against the wall of the Tardis. "I love you, River."

"I love you, too." She said, another cry creeping into her voice. The hum of the Tardis began to lull her to sleep while the Doctor kept vigilant watch over her.


End file.
